Treatment 2

I’ve decided to allow the girls team to take control of the blog again.  (It is theirs anyway.)  I feel good about documenting each day of my very first chemo treatment cycle, and would like to now focus on them.  (With Halloween and the holidays just around the corner, there is much to share! I know you are all dying to know which costume Mary Clare decides upon this year.  Or shall I say costumes?   Or exactly what McCanless has on her extensive Christmas and Birthday list.)

With that being said, I have found it is much easier to “get it all out there” and write it once, rather than tell it 35 times to our huge family, text it 15 times to other friends or have Mel call me and explain it to him one more time because he’s explaining it to one more person, so I’ll continue to leave blurbs here and there regarding my treatments. For example…

Treatment 2-Day 2

October 4, 2011- I woke up this morning  tired with puffy eyes, but nothing too bad.  My treatment yesterday went a little more difficult than the first. I was all ready for my 5 hour nap, but was told that the first treatment always takes longer, as they proceed at a slower rate in case of any difficulties.  Yesterday, they hit me up hard and it only should have taken 3.5 hours.  I didn’t fall asleep as quickly as I did the first time, and I was FREEZING.  I had two heated blankets, my jacket on and a scarf wrapped around my head.  After the typical fluids and meds, they were ready for chemo drug 1, the Taxotere.  When they administered the Taxotere, it hit me!  (Remember the chemo drugs are administered into a port which has a catheter to my jugular.)  My face and head felt like a balloon ready to explode.  I became so hot and ripped off all of my layers. My chest felt so heavy and I was having difficulty breathing.  It was scary.  I was coughing when the nurse noticed and turned to administer another drug to ease the reaction.  (In her defense, she had warned me that this may happen-still you never think you could be that few percentage.)  I think I’ll go buy a lottery ticket today, for sure!  (wink)

After I was monitored (BP, O2) and my head didn’t explode-just turned a cute tomato color-I resumed my typical 65 degrees, wrapped back up, plugged back in and we carried on.

Until I had another reaction to the Taxotere.  It wasn’t as bad as the first, but it was definitely there.  So, new protocol for me.  I get to take Prednisone in my medication cocktail line up.  Okay, I’m not one to go look up lots of medical info.  I learned NOT to do that when MC was diagnosed with HLHS.  But, I just have heard some things about taking Prednisone, and had to look.  I had to see for my self.  Not a good idea.  Note to self:  Stick to my own rule of no medical research!  Just trust docs!

Today, I’m tired.  Today, I’m a bit sad because I’m anticipating what tomorrow brings.  I get my Nulasta shot today and I know I’ll hurt and ache from that, on top of being more fatigued. Sitting, I feel great, like I could quite possible get up and get a shower and head to school to volunteer and take MC to her dance class and do homework and come home and cook and play outside, like I would normally do.  My head is having a hard time telling my heart that that’s not going to happen.  I could try and only end up frustrated and calling in troops to help last minute, which isn’t fair.

When did I get to be so hardheaded?

When will I have less guilt?

Today, the emotional battle is the hardest, as I know what lies ahead for this week.

BUT, after this treatment cycle, I’ll head into Treatment Three and that’s half way there!  I can do this.